The public are once again waggling their fingers at celebrities who misuse their star power and appear in ads that make false or misleading claims about their products.

The debate was ignited after Beijing Consumers' Association harshly criticized a famous Chinese artist for appearing in false ads.

The Association has issued an open letter warning celebrities they need to take responsibility for their actions and approach all advertising work with caution.

But an article on the Sina web portal argues the open letter is not enough because it doesn't carry the weight of the law. It says this is the third open letter the Beijing Consumers' Association has issued but they haven't stopped some celebrities from appearing in fake ads.

It says celebrities should have a legal obligation to steer clear of false promotions, just like advertisers. And it called for relevant laws to be drafted.
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(CRI.cn March 26, 2007)